Why did hundreds of birds invade a California home through the chimney? TV wildlife expert Jeff Corwin explains why — and how to prevent it from happening to you.
It was a scene straight out of Hitchcock’s 1963 horror flick “The Birds” for one terrified Torrance, California, homeowner, who says she stopped counting as hundreds of birds flew into her home through the chimney.
“There were birds coming out of everywhere. It was insane,” Kerri, the homeowner, told Inside Edition.
Kerri says she called animal control, but was told to simply leave her doors open. But the birds wouldn’t budge.
“They were just bouncing off your head,” Patrick Belleville, the boyfriend of Kerri's mom, said. “As soon as I walked in the door, I was looking for Alfred Hitchcock.”
It took Belleville three whole days to remove more than 1,500 birds by hand. The birds left quite a mess in their wake.
Incredibly, the same thing just happened 100 miles north in Montecito, but a steel grate kept 1,000 birds out of the house.
Jeff Corwin, wildlife biologist and host of the show “Ocean Treks,” says this is the time of year when birds roost.
“They roost in the home where they want to begin their families,” Corwin said. “They are taking advantage of what they feel is good structure and away from predators.”
Corwin says to make sure you have a strong screen on top of your chimney to prevent birds from coming inside.
